Lichfield Record Office

Before 1540 the diocese of Coventry and Lichfield included Cheshire, Derbyshire, south Lancashire, north Shropshire, Staffordshire, north Warwickshire, and small parts of Flintshire and Denbighshire. In 1540 Cheshire, south Lancashire and the Welsh parishes were lost and the name of the diocese changed to Lichfield and Coventry. Its records form the largest single part of our holdings. They range in date from the late thirteenth century to the present day and include a series of bishops' registers beginning in 1296, court books, visitation records, wills and tithe maps (for Staffordshire and northern Shropshire).

Dudley Archives and Local History Service collects, preserves and makes available archive and local studies material relating to the Dudley borough to help the community understand the past, live the present and shape the future. The Archives and Local History Service looks after a wonderful collection that is housed in the purpose built Archives and Local History Centre in Dudley and includes records dating back to the 12th century. Whether you’re interested in family history, house history or any other aspect of life and work in the Dudley borough, past and present, the Archives is a great place to start.

We hold original archive material including business ledgers, local authority correspondence and minutes, maps and school records. We have over 15,000 books and pamphlets and around 26,000 images relating to the borough.

Free access to the 'Staffordshire Collection' on Findmypast, at archive service points and libraries in Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent. Currently this contains around 3,000 parish registers, with 4 million entries, 1538-1900.

Registers of baptisms, marriages and burials for parishes across north Staffordshire, 1538 to c.1925, on microfiche.

A complete set of the publications of the Staffordshire Parish Register Society, which provide printed transcriptions of baptisms, marriages and burials for many Staffordshire parishes, 1536-1812.

Bishops Transcripts

Bishops transcripts for some Staffordshire parishes on microfiche, 1551-1812.

We publish a guide to the parish registers and bishop's transcripts held across the Archive Service. For your free download please go to the Guides to Sources page. This guide was last updated in July 2015.

Wolverhampton City Archives

Explore the rich life of Wolverhampton and its people through archives filled with fascinating documents, photographs, maps, recordings, ephemera and more.

Wolverhampton City Archives houses a wealth of materials relating to the history of all areas now within the city of Wolverhampton including Bilston, Bushbury, Penn, Tettenhall and Wednesfield. Constantly growing, the Archives’ vast collections include maps, books, census returns, newspapers, records from local schools, churches, clubs, societies and businesses, electoral registers, and indexes to births, deaths and marriages. There are also over 30,000 photographs, plus films, sound recordings, memorabilia and much more.

Libraries

William Salt Library

The William Salt Library collections represent an outstanding resource for the study of local and family history in Staffordshire and are available for consultation by the public in our reading rooms free of charge.

We collect objects that relate to the history of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme. Our job is to look after and show these objects to reflect the lives of local people from days gone by. We have over 28,000 objects in the collections. When you visit us you will discover many wonderful things from our collection on display in our eight galleries. You can find out about ‘Pomona’ Pottery, toys from the past and Newcastle during the two world wars. You can peer through our Victorian shop windows where you will see marvellous ‘cures’ in our chemists shop, scary tools in our doctors surgery and all sorts of strange things in our pawnbrokers shop.

Potteries Museum & Art Gallery

Travel back in time and discover the history of The Potteries including the world’s greatest collection of Staffordshire ceramics, a World War II Spitfire, decorative arts and natural history. See items from the Staffordshire Hoard on display and visit the museum café and shop. A warm and friendly welcome awaits at one of Britain’s leading museums where the unique combination of ‘product and place’ is celebrated in its outstanding displays. With pottery that will win your heart, galleries that win awards and the Spitfire that won a war, nothing can compare with what awaits you at The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery.